Amalia: Diary Three

Summary

One moment—that’s all it takes to lose faith in everyone Amalia’s grades have been slipping. She’s been worried about Maggie, whose mom’s drinking has gotten out of control. At least Amalia and her new boyfriend, Brendan, are getting along great—on a movie date, she even kisses him for the first time. But then, while she is waiting outside the theater, several drunk girls assault her and call her racist names.
Shaken, Amalia can’t help thinking that maybe Palo City isn’t the place she thought it was. She begins to shut down—and shut out Brendan and her friends. Planning her parents’ twenty-fifth anniversary party, she starts to wonder if she should even invite her extended Hispanic family to this town. Can her friends and boyfriend reassure her that she belongs in the same world as they do?
This ebook features an illustrated personal history of Ann M. Martin, including rare images from the author’s collection.

Amalia: Diary Three is the 14th book in the California Diaries, which also includes Maggie: Diary Three and Ducky: Diary Three.

Wednesday, 5/26

Her mom’s death hit her hard. But she’s pulling herself together. Somehow.

I admire her.

I admire all my friends.

How did I get so lucky?

Maggie’s here. Time to go.

Thursday, 5/27

Lunch

Big news. Double date tomorrow night. Same as last time. Me and Brendan, Maggie and Tyler (I guess double date isn’t the right term. Tyler and Maggie are the Real Thing, boyfriend-girlfriend. Way ahead of us. Call it a date and a half. Whatever.)

I just hope people don’t drool all over him again. (Tyler, that is. Not Brendan. He’s not the movie star—although he could be. But that’s another conversation.)

Sorry about the chocolate shake stain. (Guess I shouldn’t open you during lunch.)

Don’t you love parenthesises parentheses? (Yes.)

4:47

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Why do I bother telling Isabel about my personal life?

Why do I let her see me happy?

Here’s what happens.

Must be tough to be perfect.

7:35

Maggie comes over just before dinner tonight. Last-minute thing. Says Zeke is at a friend’s, her dad’s at work (as usual), and her mom’s out.

She’s not feeling too great. Says she feels tense all the time.

As we’re talking, I hear Simon Big Tooth Lover Boy’s old car pull up. Then I hear him downstairs in the kitchen with Isabel.

And she’s explaining her homework to him.

Yes, that homework. Which she does early because she’s so responsible….

What a phony.

Friday, 5/28

Study hall

Flash: Brendan has a new shirt and shoes. (Yes, Nbook, the Boy Who Hates to Shop. The boy who claims his faded amber Grateful Dead T-shirt is actually white. Translation: It was white when his dad wore it in 1983.)

Well, the clothes are a pleasant surprise. So is the haircut.

When I notice the cuts on his cheek, though, I become suspicious. I ask who scratched him, and he says, I shaved.

Shaved what? I ask.

He does not see the humor.

Guess I have to look at this from his point of view. I mean, if I were a guy soon to be on a double date and the other guy on that date was Tyler Kendall, wouldn’t I be nervous about my appearance?

I tell him not to worry. He doesn’t have to be a hunk. I like him just the way he is.

He says, I’m not a hunk?

I pretend to think about it.

He still doesn’t see the humor.

Poor soul.

Late late late late so-o-o-o late

I’m back. I’m alive. I’m awake.

How was my night?

I might as well have been in outer space.

That’s what it felt like. A trip to Pluto.

NOTE TO SELF: Learn from experience. Bring rugged clothes to next experience with Maggie and Tyler. Maybe a sword and shield.